Two armed thugs, one disguised as an Amazon worker, carried out a terrifying home invasion in Queens, New York. The criminals forced their way into a home on 12th Avenue in Whitestone, where they encountered a family with three young children. The intruders tied up the family members, including the children, and duct taped their mouths shut before ransacking the house for cash and jewelry.
The criminals, one wearing an Amazon vest and the other a black hoodie, gained entry to the home after one of the children inadvertently left the door open while leaving for school. The family was then herded into the basement at gunpoint, where they were bound and gagged with duct tape. The thieves made off with valuables from the home, including an unknown amount of cash and jewelry, using the family’s own silver Chrysler minivan as their getaway vehicle.
After the robbers fled the scene, the stolen vehicle was found abandoned just two blocks away. A witness, John Nardone, who was on his way to work, saw the father of the family running out of the house with duct tape on his face. Concerned for the family’s safety, Nardone called 911 to report the incident.
The witness described the father as visibly shaken and in a state of panic, indicating that he was unsure of what had just transpired. Police arrived promptly at the scene, located across from PS 193 Alfred J. Kennedy Elementary School, to investigate the home invasion. Despite the father’s disoriented state, Nardone provided authorities with whatever information he could gather.
The search for the suspects is ongoing, with law enforcement officials utilizing all available resources, including surveillance footage, to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. The brazen nature of the crime has left the community on edge, as residents grapple with the shocking and violent intrusion into the safety of their homes.
